Forever and Always
by Peachdreamsandperseus
Summary: "You asked me to put them away until you were older because they made us both sad. I thought now was as good a time as any…" - A picture says a thousand words but, sometimes, it's enough to leave you speechless.


_**Just a little ficlet inspired by some absolutely gorgeous photos that appeared on Tumblr tonight - I'm absolutely exhausted and just needed to get this out of my system so it's probably not up to much. Also, big thanks to whoever it was that nominated me for a Highclere Award - I don't deserve it in the slightest but there you go. Enjoy! :) x**_

* * *

He finds her in the library - curled up on the sofa, her bare feet tucked underneath her, glass of scotch in hand and a pensive expression on her face.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She looks up at him and smiles. "Sorry, I was miles away. What time is it?"

"Nearly midnight," he replies. "So this is where you've been hiding since dinner."

"Yes," she nods. "I just needed some time on my own. It's all getting a bit… much."

He nods and pours himself a glass from the bottle she's left on the side - it's Irish whiskey, the good stuff. He's taught her well.

"Don't tell me you're starting to get cold feet," he says with a smirk, sitting down beside her.

She laughs and wiggles her toes. "No… toasty warm. But you know me, I've never really liked being the centre of attention," she says. "I did my time out in society and, while I won't deny that it was fun, there was just something infuriating about being a constant source of gossip. I just want a quiet life… is that really to much to ask?"

He cocks an eyebrow at her as he takes a sip of his drink. "You probably should have thought about that before you made your choice of beau."

She swats his arm playfully and shakes her head. "What have you got there?" she asks, watching him pull something out of the inside pocket of his dinner jacket.

"I wanted to show you something… here," he hands her the photographs - three in all and she can't help but smile.

"Oh my God!" she squeals. "Da! You were a fox!"

"Err, still am thank you very much."

She giggles but knows that he's right - even now in his mid-fifties there's still that boyish glimmer in his eyes, the tinge of grey hair at his temples makes him look distinguished and, all in all, time has been kind to him despite the hardship he has suffered. "Where was this taken?"

"Your Aunt and Uncle's wedding," he says. "Honestly, you wouldn't believe the arguments I had about that suit.

"But you look so… oh." The next picture renders her speechless and he sees her swallow hard. She runs a finger across the photograph as she stares into her mother's smiling eyes, really seeing for the first time what everyone means when they say that they look alike (save for the eyes - she has her father's eyes) - of course, she's always known what she looked like and has been told stories since before she can even remember, but there's just something about this one in particular that feels… different.

"Why haven't I seen these before?" she asks, her attention now turned to the third and final one - both her parents standing together, clearly taken at a different time given their change of clothes. They look so young and happy, blissfully in love and oh so perfect together. How cruel, she thinks, that some horrid twist of fate had pulled them apart so soon into their life together.

"You have," Tom replies. "You were very young and you asked me to put them away until you were older because they made us both sad. I thought now was as good a time as any…"

"She was so beautiful."

"She'd be so proud of you, Sybbie," he says, taking her hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Just like I am."

Knowing that no words will do this moment justice, she falls into her father's embrace and lets him hold her tight - no matter how old she gets or where she goes, this will always be the most comforting thing in the world.

"I can't believe my baby girl's getting married tomorrow," he says, tucking her hair back behind her ears and unable to believe that this wonderful young woman is the same tiny thing he held in his arms for the first time twenty-three years ago.

"He's not replacing you, you know," she says. "No man could ever do that… I love you."

"I love you too, _ma mhuirnín_… forever and always."


End file.
